A popular north-east visitor attraction has been recognised as one of the best in Scotland.
Haddo Country Park, near Tarves, has been awarded the Green Flag, an honour which recognises the country’s well-managed and high-quality public spaces.
It is the first time the attraction has received the award, and brings the north-east’s tally to three – with Aden Country Park in Mintlaw and Duthie Park in Aberdeen already on the list.
It comes after a £1.8million regeneration project, which involved refurbishing monuments and buildings around the park, creating a new visitor centre and installing new paths and bridges.
A new adventure playground, featuring a zip-wire, climbing frames and slide, is also proving popular with visitors of all ages.
Voluntary judges visited the park and assessed it on a range of criteria, considering how welcoming, healthy, safe and clean it is, if it manages conservation and heritage and the standard of management.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, which runs the scheme, said: “This is great news for the north-east, with Haddo being added to Aden and Duthie as Green Flag award-winning parks. All these parks make for a fantastic day out for all the family and they have worked hard to win their award.
“We’re very proud of all our award winners and particularly the army of local volunteers who work all year round in rain or shine to make the north-east parks beautiful.”
Aden Country Park has been awarded Green Flag status for four years in a row, while Duthie Park became the first in Aberdeen to win the accolade last summer.